Review, unboxing and howto – 360° Mini WiFi Panoramic Video Camera

I bought one of these new 360 camera’s expecting to make a lot of both great photography and videos. Of course, all based on the idea that the viewer can view any direction from my camera, effectively adding a new challenge to video making and photography.

I found several of these cameras around the web, and somewhere cheaper than this one, and somewhere much more expensive. I bought this one expecting it to be somewhere in the middle range. I was very surprised about the many new great features the camera brought but equally disappointed by one major feature of photography.

After getting my package I rapidly unboxed it as shown in the video (see video below). I was genuine amazed by the size and feeling of the action camera. I of course instantly charged the camera after looking over the construction. The white sides feel light and flimsy while the camera body itself feels a bit more rigid. But nothing like the GoPro or similar replicas.

Some of my first images were very confusing, even when using the software found on the android marked called XDV360 as the seller recommended I should use. It just felt off, as if something was wrong. Finally, after some testing, I uploaded the photos and video to my computer and yes all the images and videos were shot in the same manner. They were identical in shape, that round planet like was the common theme of both the pictures and the video.

One of my early video render tests, yes i saw the mistype after i rendered the video. Given this is bad and dark weather conditions this is not ideal for testing the cameras image quality, if it wasn’t because it should be able to handle it just as well, at least they market it as such.

YES! you can drag the video around when playing. Try it.

Desperately trying to edit the files and uploading to youtube and other known sources that work in the 360° media, was unsuccessful. I started researching the origin of the camera type and was able to trace it back to a company called Anethic, which made the same camera but there it was called ANPro.

Same specifications, same hardware same everything except the logo on the box. I downloaded the software for their cameras surely enough the software was identical to the one i got from Banggood, but this one was actually working. I was now able to convert my videos and pictures into known formats and both edit and share them online as expected.

Now i actually started having fun with the camera. I recorded both around the house but also in public where i attached the camera on top of a selfie stick and walked around with the camera above my head. I even mounted it on the roof of my car using the baggage straps that came with the camera.

Unfortunately after some time, the camera seems to release heat, and when it’s cold outside and the camera is hot inside the house it’s generating a mild fog inside the housing. Making the picture even more unclear than it is. This was also the point where i started to look at the quality and pixels of the image quality.

There is no way around it, the image quality is no way near good enough for a 360x220° camera. My car trip video was a disaster, you can’t even make out the number plates on other cars, even when parked right behind them. Next problem was the fog inside the housing.

Don’t misunderstand me, there are so many new features I love about this camera. Such as being able to connect and use it WHILE IT’S CHARGING. That’s huge. you can even hook it up to a PC using wifi and record live from it. live stream 360° video, I can’t even imagine the possibilities.

But without just a semi-decent image quality, I just feel ripped of, and I, unfortunately, regret buying the camera.

Pros

360° x 220° spherical angle

Easy to use

Small and light weight

Comes with protective case

Fit’s standard mounting gear

Cons

Low pixel count

Poor software support

Chinese manual

Shortbattery life

Expensive

Here is my actual video about the camera including the unboxing and how to render.